One of the most poignant lessons of the 2016 campaign season thus far, is the profound deficiency within the electorate regarding basic knowledge of civics and government. This dearth of information and/or knowledge is best illustrated each time the former candidate Marco Rubio and current candidate Ted Cruz identify Bernie Sanders as a socialist. If these Ivy League educated Americans truly believe that socialism is one of those -isms unique to Russia, the FSR's and China, then they must have absolutely zero understanding of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Democratic socialism, one of the layers within the bedrock upon which the foundation of this country was built, posits that both the economy and society should be structured so as to meet the needs of the public and not just benefit the wealthiest one percent. In the United States, civic texts commonly used this term, democratic socialism, to describe the services provided by state and federal governments--services supported by taxes collected from the public.
One would be hard pressed to find an American politician from either side of the aisle daring enough to speak against the long-protected sacred cows of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Conversely, turn on any talk radio station in the Midwest and callers as well as program hosts regularly provide exhaustive soliloquies in which communists and socialists are blamed for the death of the steel industry, the diminishment of the auto industry and the steady deliquescence of the American dream. Those same individuals who indict socialism are the same individuals who benefit from the socialist safety net put in place by the federal government as far back as FDR's administration, if not earlier.
Please consider the following: On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act. This legislation created a social insurance program designed to pay retired workers a continued wage after retirement. The funds for this program, to this day, are extracted from the paycheck of every worker in this country. More specifically, Social Security benefits are funded by a dedicated payroll tax which is paid by workers, employers and taxes paid by those who are self-employed.
President Johnson signed the Medicare Bill (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), July 30, 1965. This legislation created a National Health Insurance program funded by the Social Security Administration--in other words, the taxpayer. It serves, primarily, retired Americans and some disabled individuals. Medicare is an entitlement program rather than a needs based program like Medicaid; thus the poor, rich and the middle class may receive Medicare benefits provided they meet eligibility requirements. Similarly, Medicaid was established in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act. This program provides health care and medical services to low-income families. Since 1982 Medicaid has been available in all fifty states. Eligible pregnant women were granted coverage in 1985; and undocumented/illegal immigrants were given coverage for certain emergent health situations the following year. Under this program, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 2000 was also added, which allows any uninsured woman diagnosed with either breast or cervical cancer to receive coverage, even if she does not meet eligibility income standards.
The benefits of the aforementioned programs could be explored in greater depth, but the point has been illustrated--the tenets of socialism underwrite a large part of this country's programs. It is hypocritical to deny this obvious state of affairs while cashing a Social Security check or presenting a Medicare/Medicaid card at the physician's office or pharmacy. It is equally myopic to dismiss a candidate based on an -ism to which each of us, as Americans subscribe to and heartily underwrite--if you need further evidence of this, have a look at your latest pay stub.
Having programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid is an irrefutable benefit to so many in our country; however, it is not possible to support the theoretical basis of such programs while indicting the political theory upon which they rest. Democratic socialism is not the political equivalent of communism nor is it the political equivalent of soviet socialism. The differences are many and varied; and it is the unique responsibility of the voter to understand and know these differences. Talk radio generalities and Republican debate night misstatements, rooted more in self-interest than in the greater good, are not acceptable substitutes for an educated electorate.
Please reference: medicare.uslegal.com, socialsecurityadminstration.org, trumanlibrary.org, gomedicare.com
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